THE TURKISH WELFARE STATE SYSTEM: A Special Focus on Human Capital Development

Abstract

A rising star within the global social policy debate is Türkiye (Turkey). In this chapter, Elveren, Agartan, and Durmaz-Bodur tackle the complexities and peculiarities of the Turkish welfare state system and its main character-giving features, as well as its recent history and key institutional structures. The special additional focus of this chapter is on human capital development, with regard to health and health care, as well as the education system, plus, very interestingly indeed, gender inequality, including a look at current and future developments. This strongly updated chapter also provides a deeper look into the post-COVID-19 world of the Turkish welfare state system. The drastic changes in this welfare state system since the early 1980s have been depicted and analyzed perfectly in this chapter, focusing on the rise of neoliberalism and neoconservatism, which altogether have changed Turkish familialism (which means that there is an absence of welfare from the state and a forced reliance on the family instead). The COVID-19 Pandemic increased existing problems with regard to health care and education, as well as gender and income disparities. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Christian Aspalter.